The Trial of Bucky Barnes
by Sargerogue
Summary: Bucky is put on trial for his crimes as the Winter Soldier. Who comes to help him in the end?


AN: Don't own the Avengers.

* * *

The cabin hadn't been the same without Becca to keep him company. Lizzie had spent a week with him before she had to leave and deal with her life. Bucky understood and he still needed to get his life together anyway. So life continued, and Bucky kept going as best he could.

The sound of cars pulling up to his cabin early one afternoon startled him as he worked out back on the wood pile. Putting the ax head into the stump, Bucky took his time in walking around the house and pulling his shirt back on as he went. When he rounded the corner of the cabin, however, he came face to face with a shotgun.

"You know, fellas, the best ways to come talk to a man is generally to call ahead or knock on his door, not put a gun in his face. Now, if you would like to keep your arm, get that shotgun out of my face," Bucky growled.

"Thompson! Are you fucking stupid?" The kid was pulled back and thrown into another agent. "This is why I say at least ten years of experience, ten years." Bucky looked at the new voice, a woman in a pant suit. She was holding a folder in her hand. "Mr. Barnes?"

"Who's asking?"

"US government. You have been summoned to a hearing in three days in New York City for your crimes as the Winter Soldier. Your attorney was notified twenty minutes ago; did he not call you?"

"I have one?"

"Yes, the law office of Nelson and Murdock." That rang a bell, something that Natasha had told him at some point. He had probably shoved it away into some other part of his brain to deal with later on to be honest.

The familiar sound of the Avenge-Jet landing in Bucky's backyard filled the air. Sam flew over head, guns drawn. Natasha and Cap came running around the side just as Vision and Wanda flew over the top of the cabin as well. The agents all turned their attention to the Avengers as Bucky took the folder from the woman and began flipping through it.

"Hey Punk," Bucky called to his friend as he looked at he documents the woman handed him. "Worried they're here to haul me in?"

"Murdock called Nat."

"Uh-huh. Well, got a room for me Steve? Your place is closer to NYC than mine and if I bunk with Stark alone I'll go crazy. I might love his tech but the man drives me just as crazy as his old man did. I'll need a few days of clothes, probably at least two weeks. Um, probably going to have to take the arm off. Needed Stark to do some work on it anyway, it's getting a little slow. Thanks for the drop off agent." Bucky walked away into the house with a nod.

Steve glanced at Natasha before following his friend. He entered the house in time to see a coffee mug go flying. Steve grabbed Bucky around from the back and held him tight. Angry tears were streaming down the brunet's face. Steve shushed him as he kept a tight hold on him.

"At least Bec's not here to see it," Bucky sobbed.

 _Yeah, at least there's that,_ Steve agreed.

* * *

The Avengers and Bucky moved into Avengers Tower once more. Tony came back from Malibu to help with the trial. He was being called as a witness of the prosecution and for the defense, as were Natasha, Steve, and Sam. Thor arrived back from Asgard and brought a whole barrel of ale. Banner reappeared from his vacation, his eyes solemn but he prepared calming teas for the whole team. Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson practically moved into the Tower to help prepare for the case even though they had been working with Natasha for months now to protect Bucky. Now that Matt had met Bucky, he knew this man deserved their best attempt.

It was early the second morning that FRIDAY alerted them to the arrival of the Barton family and the rest of the Barnes family. The elevator ran up and down the building for the next half hour bringing up luggage and people as Bucky's nieces and nephews came into the building followed by there kids and their families. Clint, Laura, and their children were the last to make it up the elevator. Tony was busy calling the SI employees to clean out the unused levels just below the Avengers levels for the rest of the family. Bucky was surrounded by everyone he cared about, except one. He went to the one man that might know where she was.

"Lizzie? She resigned the day she got back. She said she had a few other things to deal with and then she was headed back to you," Tony told him when he asked. Bucky frowned. It had been three months since Becca's death. "I could try her old apartment?"

"No, it's fine Tony. Thanks." He walked away, walking out to the balcony and pulling out his cellphone.

The ringing echoed for a few minutes before the voicemail kicked on. "This is Elizabeth Harbor. I'm sorry that you missed me. If it's important, leave a message and I'll get back to you." He waited for the beep before speaking.

"Lizzie it's Bucky. I'm in NYC. I know Murdock got ahold of you earlier this week about the trial, you said you'd be there for the defense. I, uh, I'd like to see you. I miss you. No one has seen you in so long. Please, call me back."

He hung up and turned back to the Tower. He felt a familiar lick of psychic energy on the edge of his mind.

 _I love you. I'll be home soon._

He smiled gently before reentering the building. He could only wish.

* * *

The first day of the trial, Bucky had ended up curled up on his chair with his head buried in his knees with tears on his face as he was forced to see the faces of his victims. The prosecutor, a woman in her forties who walked stiffer than if she had been made of stone, tore him to pieces as well as Tony, Nat, Steve, and Sam any time any of them tried to defend him. Tony, who had unfortunately discovered it was the Winter Soldier's name on his parents' execution order, was supposed to condemn Bucky in the prosecutor's eyes but all she got was Tony telling her that he had suspected his parents to be murdered years ago.

The second day went smoother, if you can call people breaking down in the pews smoother. When it was discovered that Bucky's living relatives were present and sitting on his side, the media ate it up. Harriet ended up on the six o'clock news after punching out a man who tried to hit Bucky as they left that day. Bucky made the 6:05 news with his reprimand of Harriet and how her mother wouldn't approve of physical violence in public like that. Steve could be seen laughing in the background while Natasha kicked the man who had tried to hit Bucky in the head when he tried to get back up.

The third day was supposed to start with a few last people and then wrap up. The last person on the docket was Lizzie and Bucky knew it. She hadn't been seen yet this morning.

"Where's your witness counselor?" the judge asked Matt Murdock.

"Uh." The door opened and heads turned to see Lizzie walking in while dragging three men who were duct taped together behind her. She was covered in dirt, grime, and blood. There was a gash on her face again and another across her shoulder that had torn her shirt. She was dragging a fourth man by the ankle. The security guards were trying to stop her as she hauled them forward.

"Sorry I'm late. I was gathering more evidence for the defense," she huffed crossing through the gate. "Elizabeth Harbor, judge."

"What is the meaning of this, Miss Harbor?"

"Meaning? Oh yes. This old geezer." She pointed to the one man who was conscious and well cleaned. He waved in his binding. "He helped with the machine that took away Mr. Barnes's memories." She took off a bag she had been wearing and handed it, now open, to Matt. "Files for you Mr. Murdock."

Lizzie pointed to the next man, a man in his fifties with a gash on his face and a broken arm. "This one helped recapture Barnes after he got loose back in the 90s. He was the one that actually killed Howard Stark and Maria Stark. Barnes remembered them and refused to pull the trigger. Had to go fish him out of a bar in Africa. It was hell to get him back through customs I'll tell you that." Lizzie kicked the third man that was bound.

"This one recaptured him after Cap was unfrozen and Barnes went off the reservation. Finally, this one." She pulled the one that was being dragged by his ankle. "Was his handler for the past twenty years when he was on missions. He's been living in Queens. Picked him up this morning."

"How did you find them all?" the judge asked. "Mr. Murdock says you're a receptionist!" Tony came forward with one of his green health drinks and gave it to Elizabeth. She thanked him for it as she chugged it down. She then healed the gash on her shoulder. "That's how."

"Yes ma'am. Former SHIELD myself."

"How do we know this isn't all just made up?" the prosecuting attorney shouted. "He still committed the murders!"

"If you had bothered to look further into the files you would have found they had files referenced to hard copies. I found the hard copies. Old HYDRA base, took a month to find that think in Alaska."

"Prosecutor, I will grant a three-day break in which time you can review the new evidence brought forth." Matt handed Foggy a file and he walked the file over to the prosecutor. After the prosecutor read through the file and glanced at the men lying at Lizzie's feet, she shook her head.

"That won't be necessary. The prosecution will no longer be pursuing charges against Mr. Barnes. However, can I have a few officers arrest these men? They have quite a lot to answer to." The judge nodded and motioned to the additional security in the back of the room. The media cleared out as Bucky took in that he was a free man. Stark and Harriet rushed outside to make the announcement to the public.

Lizzie walked over to where Bucky was sitting still. Natasha tossed her a jacket to slip on and she did before kneeling next to Bucky. The older man glanced up at her, eyes wide.

"You spent three months away from me just to find those guys?"

"If I'm going to step out with a guy, I want to know we have a future together," she told him. "Do you think less of me, knowing what I did?"

"No." He cupped her face and gave her a gentle kiss. "But would you please stop showing up with injuries?"

"I'll try my best, love."

"Good. What next?"

"I have one last thing to take care of. Then I'm coming home, okay?" He gave a nod and a gentle smile. "I'll see you soon Buck. Love you."


End file.
